1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for treating the surface of a ceramic fiber body lined with the inner wall of a kiln or other industrial furnace.
2. Prior Art
Hitherto, kilns or furnaces lined with ceramic fibers for the purpose of improving fuel cost effectiveness have been put to practice as those for firing materials into products.
Such industrial furnaces lined with ceramic fibers, for instance, have their inner walls so constructed from boards or blocks comprising ceramic fibers that they are smaller in heat capacity and better in thermal insulating properties than those made of refractory bricks, thus enabling rapid firing and improving fuel cost-effectiveness.
However, a problem with such conventional industrial furnaces, at least the inner walls of which are lined with ceramic fibers, is that a number of minuscular debris of ca. 100 to 500 .mu.m in length fly apart from the surfaces of the ceramic fiber bodies during thermal expansions or contractions of the ceramic fibers caused by repeated in-furnace temperature rises and drops, the in-furnace circulation of combustion gases caused by a burner and for other reasons. Such debris of ceramic fibers are likely to be deposited onto the surface of the material to be fired. In consequence, the resulting product deteriorates severely or, to put it another way, loses surface smoothness and fair appearance which are otherwise achievable by glaze, etc. Such deteriorations are often referred to as the fiber dirt in the art. Thus, it is strongly demanded to ensure to prevent the occurrence of the fiber dirt, when products desired to be entirely free from the fiber dirt, esp., sanitary wares and tableware are made by firing.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to meet such a demand by the provision of a method for treating the surface of the inner wall of a furnace, said inner wall being lined with ceramic fibers, which ensures to prevent the occurrence of minuscular debris from the surface of a ceramic fiber body, thereby avoiding the deterioration of the product and improving the performance of the furnace.